Turkish Breakfast at Home in Copenhagen

If you have ever had a Turkish breakfast, you know it is not a quick bite. Kahvaltı is a slow, shared spread of small plates, fresh bread and endless glasses of tea. The word literally means "before coffee", and on weekends it is often the main social meal of the day. Making a proper Turkish breakfast at home in Copenhagen is easier than you might think – it is mostly about getting a few key ingredients right.

What goes on a Turkish breakfast table?

There is no single recipe. Every family does it a little differently, but most tables are built from the same pieces:

• White cheese and an aged cheese: A soft, brined white cheese (similar to feta but creamier), plus something stronger such as tulum.
• Olives: Black and green, usually both.
• Tomatoes, cucumber and peppers: Sliced, with a pinch of salt, olive oil and dried chili flakes.
• Bread or simit: Simit is a crunchy, chewy bread ring covered in sesame seeds – Turkey's favourite street breakfast.
• Something sweet: Honey, jam, or the classic pairing of pekmez and tahini.
• Eggs: Boiled, fried with sucuk, or as menemen.
• Tea: Strong black Turkish tea in small tulip-shaped glasses, refilled all morning.

Cheeses from Türkdeli

Cheese is the centre of the table. Our Türkdeli range of Turkish pantry products includes Ezine cow's milk cheese, a brined white cheese from north-western Turkey with a fresh, slightly salty taste. Cut it into thick slices and serve it next to tomatoes and cucumber.

For something with more character, try İzmir tulum cheese. Tulum is crumbly and aged, with a deeper flavour that works well with warm bread – and with watermelon in summer, if you want to eat like a local.

Tip: take the cheese out of the fridge about half an hour before eating so the flavour opens up.

Pekmez and tahini: the sweet classic

Many newcomers have never tried pekmez and tahini together, and it is worth it. Pekmez is a thick syrup cooked down from fruit, usually grapes. Tahini is sesame paste. Pour some tahini into a small bowl, add pekmez on top and swirl. You get something sweet, nutty and rich – perfect on bread or torn pieces of simit.

You can order grape molasses (üzüm pekmezi) and tahini in a large tub. Both keep well in the cupboard, so one order lasts many weekends.

Menemen and other warm dishes

Menemen is Turkey's take on scrambled eggs: onions, green peppers and tomatoes cooked soft in oil, with eggs stirred in at the end. Some cooks add a spoonful of Turkish pepper paste (biber salçası) for extra depth and colour. Bring the pan straight to the table and dip your bread in.

Not in the mood to chop vegetables on a Saturday morning? You can order a ready menemen mix from Chef on Call. Note that Chef on Call orders close on Thursday at 14:00 for Saturday delivery and on Saturday at 14:00 for Monday delivery.

The shortcut: breakfast from Mønten Menu

If you want to skip most of the prep, Mønten 2200, the café at Tagensvej 77, makes a simit breakfast plate with the classic elements on one plate. You can also order fresh simit on its own and build the rest of the table yourself. Browse everything on Mønten Menu.

Getting it delivered in Copenhagen

We deliver on Saturdays between 09:00 and 13:00 and on Mondays between 17:00 and 21:00 to selected postcodes in and around Copenhagen – the Saturday slot is just in time for a late weekend breakfast. Order Mønten Menu and Türkdeli items by Friday 20:00 to make that Saturday's delivery, or by Sunday 20:00 for Monday. Delivery is 49 kr and free on orders from 749 kr, with a 100 kr minimum order. You can pay on delivery by cash or card, or with MobilePay. Prefer to collect? Pick up at our shop on Tagensvej 77, 2200 København N, with no delivery fee. Check your postcode on the delivery page.

Put the kettle on, fill the table with small bowls and take your time. That is the whole point of a Turkish breakfast.